Vito’s Creates Coal-Fired Cuisine in the Heart of PA’s Coal Country

Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza St Clair, PA is a wonderful restaurant fueled by a coal fired oven which reaches 1,000 degrees fahrenheit! It’s got a classy, upscale modern vibe while also being quite casual. After many of my readers suggested I make the road trip to review the pizza, the opportunity presented itself and I took the First Family of NEPA Pizza in to give it a try.

People suggested the Brooklyn, New Yorker, and Margherita style pizzas which I decided I would order one of each. I will note that several said the Grandma pizza was the one to order, but it wasn’t on the menu so I skipped over that one. I followed up with the owners who mentioned that the Grandma is available upon request, so keep that in mind if you stop by to order!

The restaurant was very welcoming, new, and impeccably clean. The staff was friendly, attentive, and provided wonderful service – I even got a chance to sneak back to check out the coal fired pizza oven which was really cool! It’s definitely a great lunch spot for a business meeting, a great dinner spot for a date, or just a great spot for the whole family. They offer a children’s menu as well as a full bar with TV’s so there really is something for everyone.

I got more excited about the pizza when our server placed a can of Stanislaus Alta Cucina Tomatoes on the table as a stand to place the pizza on. I’m not sure if these tomatoes are used in the pizza themselves as the menu advertises “San Marzano Tomato Sauce,” but it’s evidence of knowing quality ingredients! Anyone who follows me on social media knows these are among my favorite tomatoes!

When the pizzas came out, they all looked great and I noticed one was different than the others – the New Yorker had a thicker crust made from what looked to be almost double the amount of dough along with some fresh mozzarella cheese on top. It was a more dense, soft, and chewy crust with a bit of a gumline that provided a whole different experience, texture, and flavor profile. I added pepperoni to this pizza, and it really worked nicely and was the most filling of the 3 pizzas by far. It’s so interesting how changing the proportions of ingredients can change an entire pizza!

The Brooklyn and the Margherita were prepared on top of the same thin crust, kissed with 1000 degree coal fired heat. The sauce on each was vibrant, naturally sweet and bursting with flavor with a some texture to the sauce (translation smooth but with some subtle chunks). The cheese on the brooklyn was a high quality mozzarella where the margherita featured fresh mozzarella cheese melted in little circles around the whole pie.

Overall, we had a great experience at a wonderful Italian restaurant in the heart of Coal Country. I was amazed how we drove through the mountains into what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, and found this pizza oasis in a pretty significant shopping plaza in St. Clair. We’ll be back next time we’re passing through – I want to try their coal fired wings along with the grandma pizza referenced above. Have you tried Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza? Let me know what your favorite items are in the comments below!

The Ratings

Restaurant: Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza
Location: 400 Terry Rich Blvd Suite 5, St Clair, PA 17970
Date: January 2022
Eat In/Take Out: Dine In

Pizza Ordered: Brooklyn Pizza
Crust: 7.8
Sauce: 8.1
Cheese: 8.5
Overall Taste: 8.2Crispy/Cooked Properly: 8.1
Overall Value: 7.2
OVERALL RATING: 8.1Similar to: Colarusso’s Coal Fired Pizza

Pizza Ordered: Margherita Pizza
Crust: 7.8
Sauce: 8.1
Cheese: 7.1
Overall Taste: 7.6Crispy/Cooked Properly: 7.2
Overall Value: 7.2
OVERALL RATING: 7.5Similar to: Colarusso’s Coal Fired Pizza

Pizza Ordered: New Yorker Pizza w/Pepperoni
Crust: 6.7
Sauce: 8.1
Cheese: 7.2
Overall Taste: 7.5Crispy/Cooked Properly: 6.7
Overall Value: 7.2
OVERALL RATING: 7.3